Tips for migrating to high-speed Wi-Fi

Wireless in the Enterprise This newsletter is sponsored by Secure Computing Webinar: Securing up network access Learn how token-based, one-time password authentication systems can help enterprises reduce business risk, better comply with regulations, are easy to manage and most importantly keep networks secure. Tune in to this webinar. Network World's Wireless in the Enterprise Newsletter, 09/12/07 Tips for migrating to high-speed Wi-Fi By Joanie Wexler Now that Wi-Fi market share leader Cisco has turned up the volume on 802.11n, enterprises are likely to get more serious about planning for the high-speed wireless LAN. Common thinking has been for enterprises to wait until the IEEE ratifies final 802.11n standards late next year to begin installing products. Products announced so far, by Cisco and others, function under the Draft 2.0 version of the emerging 802.11n standard and may not be 100% compatible with fully standards-based products in the future. In the meantime, enterprises can prepare for migration by taking an audit of their environments to make sure both their wired and wireless infrastructures will be up to the task of supporting 802.11n throughput and power requirements when the time comes. This means beginning a migration to Gigabit Ethernet in wiring closet switches that support 802.11n APs with gigabit uplinks, for example. Network World Buyer's Guides Find the right products for your enterprise - fast. With seven categories - security, storage, convergence and VoIP, network infrastructure, network applications, wireless and LAN/WAN management - you can quickly pinpoint the hardware or software you need. With the side-by-side comparison tool you can evaluate product features and make the best purchase decisions for your enterprise. Click here to go to the Buyer's Guides now. The Farpoint Group, in a technical note issued earlier this year, goes so far as to encourage enterprises to get started with 802.11n, but advises a phased approach: 1) Start in the 5GHz band, which is far less cluttered than the 2.4GHz band used by 802.11g/b networks. Farpoint principal Craig Mathias suggests moving bandwidth-intensive power users and applications to this band to improve performance for all users in both bands. 2) Install dual-band, dual-radio 802.11n APs, and consider running an 802.11g radio as one of the modules initially to avoid disruption to the current environment. 3) Wait to deploy 802.11n in the 2.4GHz band to when all clients can be upgraded. Farpoint Group anticipates that operating both 802.11n and 802.11g clients in a single channel will deliver sub-optimal performance.   What do you think? Post a comment on this newsletter

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Contact the author: Joanie Wexler is an independent networking technology writer/editor in California's Silicon Valley who has spent most of her career analyzing trends and news in the computer networking industry. She welcomes your comments on the articles published in this newsletter, as well as your ideas for future article topics. Reach her at joanie@jwexler.com. This newsletter is sponsored by Secure Computing Webinar: Securing up network access Learn how token-based, one-time password authentication systems can help enterprises reduce business risk, better comply with regulations, are easy to manage and most importantly keep networks secure. Tune in to this webinar. ARCHIVE Archive of the Wireless in the Enterprise Newsletter. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007